Pakistani Court Demands ₹1 Crore From Hindu Families To ‘Buy Back’ Their Kidnapped Children
In a heart-wrenching case from Sanghar district in Pakistan’s Sindh province, two Hindu families are battling a shocking court order that demands they pay Rs 1 crore (10 million Pakistani rupees) each as a bond to regain custody of their minor children. The children, kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam, are at the center of a disturbing incident that exposes the systemic persecution of Pakistan’s Hindu minority and raises serious questions about justice, religious freedom, and crimes against women and children.
A Family’s Nightmare Begins
The ordeal began when three Hindu sisters—Jia Bai (22), Dia Bai (20), and Disha Bai (16)—along with their 13-year-old cousin, Harjeet Kumar, vanished from their homes in Shahdadpur, Sanghar. Their families, devastated and suspecting foul play, immediately filed a missing persons complaint with the local police, fearing the children had been abducted. Their worst fears were confirmed when the police located the children, revealing they had been converted to Islam and were living with members of the majority community. Reports suggest the children were taken to the Gosha-e-Aafiat Trust, a religious center in Karachi, where they appeared in videos wearing Islamic clothing and claiming to have converted voluntarily.
The families, however, allege the conversions were coerced, pointing to a pattern of abductions targeting Hindu girls and minors in Sindh. The mother of Harjeet Kumar, visibly distraught at a press conference, tearfully pleaded, “I want my son back. He is only 13 years old and cannot understand religion.” She accused a local computer teacher, Farhan Khaskheli, of brainwashing and abducting the children.
A Court Order That Shocks the Conscience
When the case reached the court in Shahdadpur, the families hoped for justice. Instead, they faced a ruling that has sparked outrage among human rights advocates. The court determined that Jia Bai and Dia Bai, aged 22 and 20, were adults with the “free will” to choose their religion, denying their families’ request for custody. For the two minors, Disha Bai (16) and Harjeet Kumar (13), the court allowed the families to take them home—but with a staggering condition: each family must deposit a bond of Rs 1 crore as a guarantee that they will not encourage the children to revert to Hinduism.
This unprecedented bond, described by critics as “state-sponsored extortion,” is seen as a deliberate attempt to pressure Hindu families into accepting the forced conversions. A local advocate representing the families called the ruling discriminatory, stating, “They are minors. They don’t know what has happened. How can they live under court-imposed religious restrictions in their own homes?”
The court’s decision to acquit two accused individuals, Zulfikar Khaskheli and Farhan, of kidnapping charges—based solely on the girls’ statements, which many suspect were made under duress—further deepened the families’ anguish.
A Pattern of Persecution
This case is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing trend in Sindh, where Hindu girls and minors are frequently abducted, forcibly converted, and married to Muslim men, often with the tacit approval of local authorities. According to police records, an average of 25 Hindu girls face similar fates each month in Sindh alone, a region home to 90% of Pakistan’s Hindu population.
The Hindu community in Sanghar has expressed its frustration, noting that they have lived harmoniously with their Muslim neighbors for generations. At a recent panchayat meeting, community leaders voiced their pain, with one saying, “These girls are not just daughters of Hindus—they are daughters of Sindh.” The Sanghar SSP, Ghulam Nabi Keerio, assured the community of action, and a suspect was arrested, but the court’s ruling has left many feeling betrayed by the justice system.
The Price of Being Hindu in Pakistan
The exorbitant bond requirement is beyond the financial reach of most Hindu families in Pakistan, many of whom live in poverty. Critics argue that the court’s condition is a deliberate tactic to ensure the children remain separated from their families, effectively legalizing the forced conversions. Social media posts on X have described the ruling as “judicially sanctioned religious apartheid,” with users questioning the silence of international human rights organizations.
Half of the Pakistani Hindu refugees supported by organizations like Sewa Nyaya, which works with displaced communities, hail from Sanghar district, underscoring the region’s long-standing issues of religious persecution. The case has reignited calls for Pakistan to enforce legal protections for its Hindu minority and address the systemic biases that allow such atrocities to persist.
A Call for Justice
As the families of Jia, Dia, Disha, and Harjeet continue their fight, their story serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by Hindu women and children in Pakistan. The court’s ruling not only denies them justice but also perpetuates a cycle of fear and marginalization. International bodies and human rights advocates must amplify these voices, urging Pakistan to uphold the rights of its minorities and ensure that no family is forced to pay an unthinkable price to protect their children.
This is more than a legal battle—it is a cry for dignity, freedom, and the right to raise one’s children in peace. For now, the families wait, hoping their children will come home, but the cost of that hope is a burden no parent should bear.
Sources:
- Organiser.org: Hindu girls abducted, converted in Pakistan; Court defends accused
- OpIndia.com: Four Hindu siblings abducted and forcibly converted in Pakistan’s Sindh
- ABP Live: Pakistan police took action on forced conversion of three Hindu sisters and one brother
- The Express Tribune: Conversion of Hindu minors triggers community uproar
- India Today: The plight of Pakistani Hindus (archived)
